'Armed and dangerous' suspect captured

Deputies have captured an armed robbery suspect who led law enforcement on a vehicle chase through quiet Spartanburg streets Wednesday.

By Daniel J. Grossdaniel.gross@shj.com

Deputies have captured an armed robbery suspect who led law enforcement on a vehicle chase through quiet Spartanburg streets Wednesday.The deputies found Christopher Blake Webb, of 551 N. Fairview Ave., at the Brookwood Inn off of Interstate 85 Business around 6 p.m. Wednesday, Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Tony Ivey said in a statement.The arrest came hours after deputies spotted him in the Beaumont area and chased him through the Converse Heights neighborhood until he escaped. During the chase, Webb attempted to strike Sheriff Chuck Wright's vehicle and another investigator's vehicle, said Wright.A second investigator struck Webb's red Pontiac Grand Am in an attempt to stop him, but he managed to drive away, said Ivey in a statement.Webb had been wanted in connection to several armed robberies to convenient stores in and near Spartanburg. Wright said Webb was first identified as the suspect after a store clerk pointed him out in a photo array and a tip from CrimeStoppers led deputies to his location.A SWAT team and a K-9 unit arrived at the motel to search for Webb and authorities found him hiding under a sink in room 251 of the Brookwood Inn, Wright said.Wright said Webb sustained a dog bite while being captured but no other injuries were reported.“We had the right to shoot him and we didn't. We're thankful that we're professional,” said Wright. “We checked all the areas we thought he might go to. It was good, hard police work.”A woman that was with Webb during the time of the arrest also will likely face charges, Wright said. Others on scene were detained but later released.The sheriff's office and Spartanburg Police Department had been searching for Webb since Sunday following the string of four robberies and two attempted robberies.In most incidents, Webb entered a store, kept his hand in his jacket pocket indicating he had a weapon and demanded money, according to incident reports from the police department and the sheriff's office.Law enforcement officials believe Webb is responsible for robberies at a Corner Mart and a Dollar General both on North Pine Street, a Lil' Cricket on Valley Falls Road and a Lil' Cricket on Garner Road, according to reports.Ashley Mills, a manager at the Corner Mart, said during an interview that the suspect, now identified as Webb, had walked into the store around 9:40 p.m. Sunday and asked for a pack of Maverick Menthol cigarettes.After the purchase, Webb asked the cashier to put her phone down and open the register, Mills said.“He put his hand in his jacket pocket after he told her to 'Give me the money and nobody would get hurt,'” she said.Webb had been considered “armed and dangerous,” according to the sheriff's office. Deputies had been on the lookout for Webb's car Wednesday afternoon in the Beaumont area and when they tried to make a traffic stop, he sped off, said Ivey in a statement.He drove more than 100 mph during the chase and sped through stop signs and red lights, said Wright. He also struck a bystander's vehicle while fleeing deputies, Wright said.“He had no regard for human life,” said Wright.The pursuit lasted about five minutes until he got away at the intersection of Pine Street and East Henry Street, Wright said, adding that deputies were concerned for the safety of those nearby at the time of the chase.Webb is currently charged with one count of armed robbery.Additional charges are pending, according to the sheriff's office.Wright said he may seek charges for attempted murder since Webb tried to strike two deputies during the vehicle chase.“We aren't going to stand for that,” Wright said.